EMMA Kearney is North Melbourne.

Yes, there was a brief sojourn to the Western Bulldogs, winning a flag and an AFLW best and fairest in her two years at the Kennel, but Arden Street has always been "home".

Kearney has been there since the early days, playing for Melbourne Uni a decade ago when the Mugars approached AFL clubs in the area, looking for training facilities.

She said Carlton turned them down, but the Roos – led by now-president Sonja Hood in the community department – said yes. Kearney was captain at the time.

The eight-time All-Australian has been North Melbourne's skipper since its first season in 2019. A teacher by trade, she's worked in the community team ("the Huddle") herself, and is currently a development coach with the men's program.

And on Saturday night, Kearney led North Melbourne to its maiden AFLW flag, coincidentally on Carlton's home deck of Ikon Park.

"I saw some of the old Melbourne Uni girls I used to play with, and it's just really special," Kearney told AFL.com.au.

"Emma Phillips reached out to Sonja, and she said we could come and use the facilities. From those early days playing at Melbourne Uni, we were using Arden Street as our home base, the lecture theatre, the gym.

"For me, when I left the Bulldogs, it was always an easy decision to come, because it felt like home.

"The fact that North have always been so progressive in how they wanted to support women's footy, it's super. Reward for effort, I think."

While she rounds out the season with a second premiership medallion, 2024 will arguably go down as one of the toughest of her career, missing six of the 14 games with a hamstring injury, racing the clock to return for last week's preliminary final.

"I'm just so happy with this group. Personally, it was a hard season for me, missing a large chunk of it, but the growth that our group has had – if we had lost one of our leaders in previous seasons, we would have struggled," Kearney said.

"The fact we were still undefeated while I wasn't there, made it easier for me to sit on the sidelines. It was a hard rehab, I had two other tears. It was a six-weeker hammy, it was a tendon, but during the rehab phase, I did a calf, then another smaller hammy. 

"The medical staff were so good to get me up. Just to get through to the prelim was a relief, then to play in the prelim allowed me to play with a bit more freedom tonight, not to worry about my body. The prelim, I know I played limited minutes, but the whole time I was concerned about my hammy. Didn't have to think about it today, which is nice."

So limited were Kearney's minutes last week, she played only 38 per cent game time, including sitting out nearly all of the last quarter when the game was in the bag.

But it was the Kearney of old that took to the field on Saturday night, that dangerous (and slightly manic) glint in her eye, sidesteps aplenty as she streamed down the field.

She set the tone in the opening quarter, driving the ball forward time and time again, and having the time of her life as she attempted to suck opponents into silly free kicks.

"I felt like my form was pretty good this season, that I was defending my best, then obviously got cut short with injury," Kearney said.

"I felt like I was really poor against Port, that I was just trying to get my hands on the footy and defensive shape was pretty poor. It was a big focus of mine, I wanted to have a really clear plan.

"I knew that Brisbane liked to surge at stoppage, they like to suck up a few of their high half-forwards up to congestion, and that I could drop off them there. The plan we had across all lines, we were able to execute, which was pleasing."

Defensive teammate Jas Ferguson said she instantly knew "Kearney's here to play", and joked she'd tried to avoid her ferocity at training earlier in the week.

"I think that was one of her best games all season. Obviously she's missed a few, but I think just the passion she plays with – she was always going to play well today," Ferguson said.

"Just an unreal human on and off the field, she absolutely deserves this, and I'm so proud for her to be my captain, I absolutely love her."

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